This invention is concerned with the preparation of "instant" pasta, that is, dried pasta which may be reconstituted with water or other liquids for consumption within a very short period of time.
Conventional pasta, such as noodles, spaghetti or macaroni, is prepared by forming a dough from wheat flour and sufficient water to provide a total moisture content of around 30%, together with eggs and/or salt. The dough is formed by rolling and cutting, or by extrusion, into the desired shapes, which are then carefully dried to retain a dense, homogeneous texture. Such pasta requires an average cooking time of 10-20 minutes, depending on the shape.
Various processes have been described for producing pasta having a reduced cooking time, for example of several minutes, or pasta which may be reconstituted for consumption by soaking for a few minutes in hot water or broth. For example, oriental instant pasta may be prepared by rolling the dough, cutting it into noodle shapes, gelatinizing the noodles as by a steam blanch, and then deep frying the noodles. Noodles prepared in this manner have a porous texture and rehydrate more readily, but they are impregnated with fat from the deep frying operation and therefore have a materially reduced shelf life.
Alternatively, the dough may be extruded into the desired shapes, which are cooked in boiling water for about two minutes and then drained and dried. Pasta prepared in this manner reconstitutes much less easily than the oriental noodles. Size for size, they merely require a shorter cooking time than conventional pasta, and cannot be regarded as "instant" pasta.
Another process comprises shaping the dough, by extrusion or rolling and cutting, pre-drying the pasta shapes in air to a moisture content of 18-28% and completing the drying by applying microwave energy. The microwave heating partially gelatinizes the pasta; consequently, a shorter cooking time is required as compared with conventional pasta.
Attempts have been made to improve processes of the last two types by creating a porous structure in the dough through incorporation of yeasts or chemical leavening agents, or by extruding thin-walled elbows or macaroni and gelatinizing them with steam in the presence of water, thereby rendering them sufficiently firm to compensate for the thin walls, and drying. Whereas the first procedure involves a notable modification of the composition of the dough, which is not always desirable, the second is useful only for hollow pasta shapes.